Smart cities improve quality of life through convenience and functionality through enhanced interconnectivity, disability-friendly infrastructure, and sensors.
FREMONT, CA: A smart city's operations can benefit greatly from integrating connected technology. An effective big data strategy can assist a city in identifying high-risk areas for police recruitment, forecasting and planning for city-wide population growth, and identifying trends in citizens' interests, concerns, and needs. Smart cities rely heavily on communication between sensors and systems, and communication between citizens and their municipal government will be an equally efficient aspect of smart cities.
The following digital applications improve the overall functioning of smart cities.
Interconnectivity: The IoT is increasingly being used by consumers, including connected cars, home automation, wearable technology, connected health, and appliances that are remotely monitored. Smart home IoT devices fall under the broader concept of home automation, encompassing lighting, heating and cooling, security and media systems, and cameras. It could result in long-term energy savings by automatically switching off lights and electronics or by educating residents about how much energy they are using.
Disability friendly: It is common for smart homes to have a platform or hubs for controlling smart devices and appliances. However, an important application of smart homes is to assist those with disabilities and the elderly. A home system such as this can accommodate a specific disability of its owner by using assistive technology. Hearing-impaired users can receive alerts directly from their cochlear implants through voice control, which can assist them with sight and mobility challenges. There are also safety features available that can be added to them. Medical emergency sensors, such as those that monitor seizures or falls, can be included in these features.
Sensor capabilities: Most smart building sensors can provide data and automation. A motion sensor can turn on the lights and report their usage. When moisture content reaches a certain level, the humidity sensor activates a dehumidifier. The use of sensors enhances the visibility of business processes and workflows, enables the identification of employee work patterns, and determines the environmental conditions of facilities. Enterprise management can use them to monitor, control, and improve operational efficiency.
